Wish Upon a Star
by xStarletx
Summary: the team investgates a Murder at a Maffia Bakery, and how a strange girl was dragged into a hospital in a shopping cart by her German Shepherd. Some how these two are connected, and Mac will find out. Not quite sure about pairings - PLEASE REVIEW
1. Chapter 1

Wish Upon a Star

xxMedusaxx

Chapter 1

_*This is the first and only time I will do this – I do know own CSI: NY or any character involved with the series, except for the ones I very clearly made up. – Now with that done, this is my first CSI and I know I'm not that good at it, so leave me some Reviews please. I have chapter two done already and won't be posting it until I get at least 10 review so don't forget to press that pretty button at the bottom*_

* * *

Mac Taylor had had his fair share of bizarre crimes, and even stranger criminals. But the call he had gotten that morning took the cake. From what they knew about the girl she was found in a shopping cart being towed by a large white German Shepherd. She had been shot in the shoulder, and had lost a lot of blood, that morning there was also a shooting at a very well known mafia bakery, the owner who was inside at the time was found dead in the back alley doorway, she was thought to be connected to that.

Mac had been sent to talk to her, what he saw was a very pale teenaged girl, probably around sixteen. She had bright red hair, the German Shepherd, he had been told, refused to leave, and shortly after she had gotten out of surgery they had found a cat and a ferret in her backpack, who also refused to leave. The large dog was curled up beside her, and the cat and ferret were curled up beside her head. As Mac neared her the dog lifted his head up a low growl rumbled through his chest and Mac was forced to stop.

"Saber down." She whispered, though the dog continued to grumble he lay down his head. Her eyes opened and Mac could see that her eyes were a dark green.

"Hello." She whispered.

"Hello. Do you know where we are?" Mac asked her.

"I'm in a hospital, I was shot last night." She replied. Mac nodded to her.

"Do you remember what happened?" Mac asked.

"I work at Baglioni's Bakery. I was closing last night. I'm supposed to lock up and leave through the back door. When I was half way through locking up when these two big guys came at me, I wouldn't have noticed if Saber hadn't started growling. They started shooting and I ran, I didn't feel much pain at first I just kept telling myself to keep running. I'm not entirely sure where I went, I just remember collapsing beside a dumpster somewhere. They were with me, if you're wondering, Saber was running beside me, and Trixie and Lancelot were in my backpack. I didn't see anything important." Mac wrote down her story.

"Is there anyone we can call?" Mac asked.

"Marco Baglioni, he's my friend." She whispered.

"And who should I tell him to come and get?" Mac asked.

"Starlet." She whispered.

-----

"Marco Baglioni is dead. Shot last night at his bakery." Flack replied once Mac asked him.

"Any immediate family, maybe they knew Starlet as well." Mac asked.

"A wife and a teenaged son." Flack responded, merely nodded.

"So our vic worked at the restaurant?" Flack asked.

"Yes, she got shot in the alley. She said he was locking up."

"Why would she lock up with Baglioni still in the bakery?"

"She also said that she passed out sometime during the night beside a dumpster. So who put her in the shopping cart? I doubt it was the dog." Mac mused.

"Look like Starlet had a little help. Her fairy god mother perhaps?"

-----

Mac had walked into the Baglioni's large house to see friend and family all there to give comfort and support to the grieving family members. Mac managed to tear away Mrs. Baglioni and her son, John, so he could ask his questions.

"Do either of you know this girl?" Mac asked, showing them the picture of Starlet he had on his phone. It wasn't in his had for very long, john ripped it out of his hand.

"That's Star!" He cried.

"But they said no one survived!" Mrs. Baglioni cried.

"What happened to her?" John asked.

"She was shot last night."

"Well no duh genius, I mean how did she get to the hospital, why didn't she call me?" John asked.

"She asked for your father actually."

"She thinks I'm still mad at her doesn't she?" John asked.

"You and Starlet had an argument?" Mac asked.

"Not really, she just doesn't take it well when people scream at her. Something to do with her abusive Father or something." John replied off handedly.

"Do you know her real name?"

"No, none of us do, she doesn't like to mention her past." Mrs. Baglioni replied for her son.

"Do you know what type of past she had? Violent scaring, those sorts of things?" Mac asked.

"Abusive father, ran away, lived on the streets. That's it basically." John replied. "But she never mentioned exactly what her father did to her, though we could guess, or where she came from, never told me her real name or her fathers real name, though my dad promised he'd take care of him."

"How did she and your father meet?" Mac asked. John smiled.

"The story was always unbelievable…"

-----

Marco Baglioni was finishing off a few spread sheets when he heard the bell tinkling below. Someone had just come through the back door, Marco shrugged it off, his head cashier had been the last to leave and had a key to lock up the back door, he had probably just forgotten something and returned to get it. It wasn't until he heard the crash of pans that he knew it was a thief. Grabbing his .39 pistol he made his way downstairs.

"Now look at what you've done!" He heard someone growl. The voice sounded small, almost child like, but the street rats that lived around here didn't have the know how break through his complicated lock.

"Don't move!" Marco cried, bursting into the kitchen. He was right in thinking this boy was small and he was wearing clothes at least three sizes too big. He wore large baggy jeans covered in patchwork, and a large brown winter jacket going down to his knees. He must have been wearing a hoodie because he had a large black hood covering his eyes and hair. At his feet was a large canvas backpack holding what seemed to be a few leftovers from that days sales, but that was all he could see the bag was large there could be plenty of cash underneath. There was a sudden growl and a large white dog bounded past her.

"NO Saber! Gun Beats Teeth!" The boy cried, rushing forward and grabbing the large dog's collar. At first Marco was distracted by the dog and his large teeth, but he did notice the dainty fingers poking out of the fingerless gloves he was wearing, and then once he looked up at the boy who was dragging the dog back and he saw that the hood had fallen away. Marco could see now that the boy was in fact a girl, who had long red hair and green eyes. Her pale face was covered in dirt and ashes she was obviously a street girl, but she looked so young and so fragile, she didn't belong on the streets.

"I'm sorry, we were hungry." She cried, trying to back away. Marco advanced and the dog growled again.

"Don't move. How much money did you get huh?" He asked.

"I didn't take any money." She whispered, shaking her head.

"Yea right!" Marco cried back up to the cash register He unlocked the drawer and saw that everything was there. Marco glanced back to her.

"You mean all you've got in there is food?" Marco asked, The girl nodded. At that moment a brown head popped out of the bag and then crawled up her leg.

"And a rat." Marco whispered to himself.

"Lancelot's a ferret." The girl responded angrily putting the rodent into her jacket pocket. From behind his legs a cat rushed forward, a can of tuna in her mouth. She dropped it in the backpack.

"I told you we were hungry." She responded when he stared at her oddly.

"You broke into my shop, for food?" Marco asked.

"Yes and we're sorry. You can take it back." She offered. Marco shook his head.

"It's scraps It just goes to the garbage anyway." Marco replied.

"Can I leave?" She asked. Marco looked up at her she was fidgeting nervously, she had herded the into the back pack.

"Ah you know my line of work." He whispered. She nodded.

"They sent me in here, said I could stay if I got out of here alive. I would have never been sent in here if I were still with Ricky." She whispered.

"Punk kids sent you in here? I don't think they wanted you to come out alive." Marco alleged. The girl shrugged.

"Alright, here's what I'm gonna do, you tell me how you got past my lock and I'll let you leave." Marco replied, sitting himself down on the counter.

"Easy, Lancelot went in through the open window upstairs, he got downstairs and unlocked the door. Saber was look out and Trixie was the seeker, she found the good things to eat." She explained. Marco nodded.

"So the rodent got in through the window? That's new, very ingenious of you." Marco congratulated, she nodded at him.

"I can go now right?" She asked, Marco stood up.

"Not yet. You live on the streets right, which building?"

"I can't tell you that."

"But it doesn't have heat, or running water does it?" Marco asked, she shook her head in response.

"And you have to break into places like mine for food, or valuables and money to buy food, right?"

"No, I don't take money or objects, I'd never know what was of emotional value to people." She explained. Marco thought about this.

"Say I needed your services with just getting into a house, you'd have to do no stealing or anything, would you do that for me?" He asked.

"I guess, maybe."

"For a price?" He asked.

"I wouldn't know what to ask for." She asked.

"How about free room and board, and a job here in my bakery, and you can afford food and clothes and toys for your pets." Marco offered.

"Sounds too good to be true." She replied.

"All I'd need in return is a few break ins, all you'd have to do is get the door open that's it. Sound easy enough?" Marco asked. She glanced to the large dog and then the ferret in her pocket and the cat in the bag and then nodded.

"Yea I think we could do that." She whispered.

"Alright well tonight you're going to come home with me and my wife will help you clean up. Tomorrow you'll start here, and that night you'll do the first break in. In a few days the pent house across the street will be ready for you to move into, once I kick my son out." Marco replied, standing up and putting the gun down.

"Wont' he be mad?"

"I told him once more police raid and he would loose the apartment, I was going to rent it out anyways." Marco replied.

"Sounds great."

-----

"He put her on the pay roll that night, I was already half way moved out of the pent house by then. He brought her home and commissioned her to make a bath." John replied.

"And you weren't angry?" Mac asked.

"Sure I was, but it is so hard to stay angry at her. She's always sorry even if it's not even her fault. I tried to chew her out and she nearly broke out in tears. I can't handle it when a girl cries. And she just kept saying, I'll take it back, I don't need the apartment I'll just stay on the street. What was I going to do? I'm not completely heartless." John cried. Mac nodded.

"What about you? Your husband brings home a teenaged girl and you're fine with it."

"Of course not, but as John said she was too nice to be mad at. She had a shower and I gave her some of john clothes for the night, and the next day I took her shopping. She was such a push over, did whatever you told her to do, a people pleaser, that kind, with the manners of an angel." Mrs. Baglioni replied. Mac nodded taking everything done in his note book.

"When should we pick her up?" John asked, finally handing over Mac's cell phone

"I'm not quite sure, She's at the Bellevue Hospital Center, you can go see her if you'd like." Mac offered. John and Mrs. Baglioni nodded.

"I'm sorry for your loss, and for taking up your time, but we may need to ask you more questions" Mac demanded. The two nodded and then returned to their guests.

-----

At the bakery Danny and Lindsay found at least twenty casings, fifteen or so from two unidentified guns and five or more from the gun that was in Marco Baglioni's hand. There were unidentified blood spatters, which meant that who ever he was shooting at did indeed get shot.

"Danny, he put up quite a big fight, he went down with guns blazing. Nothing's missing from the Bakery nothing's trashed, what were they after?" Lindsay asked.

"There's foot prints here, with paw prints, Mac says a girl was here, chased by two assailants." Danny replied.

"You think they came to shoot at her, and then what Marco Baglioni came down to stop them?" Lindsay asked.

"Maybe, Mac wants to know where she came from, he wants us to follow this trail. Maybe find out who helped her get to the hospital." Danny replied. Lindsay looked at him.

"Why? What's so important about her?"

"Well if she's the one who they were after, finding who helped her out might help us find who killed Marco Baglioni."


	2. Chapter 2

Wish Upon a Star

xStarletx

**A/N: WOW I took a long time with this, unless you haven't noticed I changed my penname, been wanting to for a while. I really like the name, hence the reason I've used it in a story. =P Plz review if you like this one, I promise to try and get the next chapter out soon. If there's anyone who likes Twilight, I've got a twilight fic out, it's not that bad, it's still Bella and Edward, but with some comical interference from a new character =P Plz check it out and tell me what you think. Enjoy**

Chapter 2

* * *

Stella Bonasera sat across from Starlet watching her carefully, as carefully as the four watching her. The dog had lifted his head from the blue blankets her legs were wrapped in and growled. According to the doctors that was his normal greeting. The cat was yawning feigning disinterest in the new comer. The ferret was curled up in small ball on the white pillow propped up behind her. She merely had to place her hand on Sabers back haunches for the warning growl to stop.

"He doesn't like strangers. Unfortunately the hospital is full of strangers." Starlet explained, petting the dog affectionately.

"Yes, they do say that dogs are the best security. I've been meaning to get one." Stella replied. Starlet smiled.

"So what do you want from me?" Starlet asked, her smile now a pinched polite smile than her previous.

"We want to know who you are, how you got here, if there's anyone who'd want to hurt you inparticular." Stella explained. Starlet frowned

"I can't tell you all of that." Starlet snarled.

"What about your name?" Stella offered.

"It's Starlet, you can call me Star if you want, John does." Starlet replied offhandedly. Stella bit back the rude remark she wanted to hurl at the girl.

"No, your real name."

"It is my real name." Starlet argued. Stella sighed frustratedly, this girl was being stubborn.

"What's your last name?"

"I don't have one."

"Where do you live?"

"Here in New York."

"Where did you move here from?"

"No where."

"Who did you stay with when you were on the street?"

"With Saber, Trixie and Lancelot."

"Weren't you with a gang?"

"No I avoided those."

"That's impossible you were obviously on someone turf."

"Nope, never ran into anyone."

"John said his dad said that you told him that some kids sent you into his shop and that if you came out with something to eat you could stay with them and something about a Ricky never letting that happen." Stella cried, past frustrated, Saber was up now, his lips curled back to reveal his long white fangs. The cat was beside him her back arched, her black and brown fur sticking up, she was hissing at Stella. The ferret was nowhere to be seen. Starlet was white. On a hunch Stella began to pen down the name Ricky. In a sudden flash Starlet was out of the bed, she ripped the note pad out of Stella's hands and then vaulted over the bed. Stella reached out to grab the retreating girl, but found that she had to recoil away from Saber's snapping jaws. He was barking now, his ears flattened against his skull. The cat was between his defensively placed paws, hissing, reading to swipe at Stella's feet if she tried to get close.

"He's mad at me as it is. If he gets dragged in by cops he won't even talk to me again. Besides, I don't think he'd try to kill me." Starlet cried from her hiding spot behind the bed. Stella couldn't see her but she sounded frantic. Stella had seen this before. This Ricky character was probably a ring leader of a small or group of kids, loyalty was big between these street kids, and Starlet was obviously loyal to him.

"Give me back my note pad and I won't go after him." Stella promised, though she had no intention of doing so. Starlet reappeared, hope shining in her eyes, was she really gonna trust her so quickly?

"Promise?" Starlet asked, Stella noticed that her pets were suddenly much calmer, and the Ferret had been in her pocket that entire time. Stella nodded, not voicing the word, in fear of it being too formal. Hesitantly, Starlet handed her the notebook, Stella snatched it back, the dog grumbled nudging Starlet back to the bed. Stella saw that her bandages glowed the bright red of a freshly bleeding wound. Starlet was yawning, obviously tired and possibly hungry. Stella thanked her for her time and then took her leave, with no clear answers, but at least she had a lead.

----

Stella had phoned Flac on the way back to the hotel and asked if he could get something on a street kid named Ricky, and then had to phone Mac to come and get her, her security id and access cards were gone.

"Where did you have them last?" Mac asked, accompanying her up to their office floors.

"At the hospital. You don't think she took them?" Stella asked.

"Did she go anywhere near your stuff?"

"No, but that Ferret disappeared, I don't really want to think that a ferret got into my purse, stole my cards and I didn't even notice." Stella cried.

"Did you get anything out of her?" Mac asked. Looking over the notes.

"Other than a nice kid like her wouldn't have lasted long on the streets, she's crafty and she's good at keeping to her story, and she could probably be very good at running hiding and climbing stuff, but other than then she's not hardened, she trusts too easily. I don't think she's been on the streets very long." Stella responded. Mac thought this over.

"What about where she came from?" Mac asked.

"Nope, got nothing out of her, but I do have a sample of her blood from the Hospital to run against any databases." Stella responded. She dug through her purse a while longer and then came to a sickening conclusion, "God damn it that rat took the sample too."

To her surprised Mac broke out in stern laughter. Stella stared at him confused.

"You think that's funny?" Stella asked.

"A rat has out witted you Stella, it's a little funny yes." Stella frowned at his teasing, then turned back to the matter at hand.

"What is she running from?" Stella asked.

"John said something about an abusive father, could be sexual, could be physical. Either way it was enough for her to chose the cold New York streets, over her warm house." Mac replied.

"I think she had help living on the streets, you know street gangs, sometimes kids run in little pockets of gangs, stay on a block sort of like miniature turfs. When they're older they graduate into real gangs. I've got Flac looking for a Ricky that was mentioned. She freaked out when I mentioned him though, possibly trying to protect him, loyalty is strong in those crews." Stella explained.

"So we've got someone who put her on the streets, someone who took her off, and now someone who would want her to stay on the streets, or at least be upset now that she's turned a new leaf." Mac mused.

"Quite a puzzle we have here Mac." Stella whispered.

"And I don't think we have all the pieces."

* * *

**Don't forget to check out the Twilight fic, it's on my story list at the bottom of the my profile page. Plz tell me what you think about it. Don't forget to review here either =P Till next time guys. **


	3. Chapter 3

Wish Upon A Star

xStarletx

A/N: Here we are! Chapter 3 Are you guys excited?? Ohh you learn more about Starlet's past and Saber is still Badass!!! ^w^ Well guys I hope you like it, review if you do! Check out my profile for better descriptions for all my stories, maybe there'll be something else you like =P Here we go hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 3

* * *

By the time Stella got back to hospital Starlet and her gang of pet thieves was gone.

"How could you lose an injured teenager?" Stella asked the nurse who had been in charge. The blonde seemed flustered, but definitely she had something else to worry about.

"She was asleep when I made my first rounds. When I came back an hour later she was gone." The nurse explained.

"Did she leave anything?" Stella asked. The nurse shrugged, Stella took that as a no.

"How about her DNA, do you have a file we can cross reference?" Stella questioned again. The nurse looked up to her, apparently she was past frustrated now.

"No, nothing, she burnt her files, that's why we didn't notice she was gone right away. She also took a generous amount of the drug she was prescribed probably to sell to her street buddies!" The nurse cried.

"What drug did she take?" Stella asked. The nurse sighed and rubbed her temples as she tried to remember.

"Vicodin for the pain." She replied after a lengthy paused. Stella thanked her for her troubles, and then asked if she could look at the room. Luckily Stella managed to get a few good fingerprints and a couple strands of hair. Stella smirked, Starlet wasn't going to get away that quickly, she was closing in on who she really was.

--

It was when John stormed into the office that Mac realized something was wrong.

"I just thought you'd liked to know that your little press conference with the 'Do you know this girl' bullshit sent her running for the hills. She left a message on my answering machine telling me she's scared her dad saw and will be on the way to get her. Now I have to send the man power I was going to use to avenge my father to go and find her before she does some damage to herself!" John cried. Mac looked up.

"Avenge your father?" He asked. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, where do you think she's gone?" Mac asked. John sighed as if Mac had asked the stupidest question.

"Would I have people out looking for her if I knew that?" He asked Mac. Mac chose to ignore the sarcasm and contempt.

"Well, were would she find safe?" Mac asked. John ran a hand through his dark brown hair.

"I suppose she'd track down Ricky, but I haven't seen or heard from him since I kicked him out a month ago. She told me she hadn't seen him either, but she could have been lying, he was persistent and he liked her, he had a habit of stalking her." John explained.

"So, she would be looking for Ricky?" Mac asked for clarification.

"But I don't know if he's even talking to her, he was pretty angry when she let me throw him out." John sighed. Mac sat himself down.

"I think you need to tell me what happened." Mac demanded indicating to John to sit down. John took the seat opposite him and began the tale.

--

She had gotten off work early that day, she had been working long hours and Marco could tell that she was tired. She had been accompanying John and friends out to their late night parties, the people pleaser that she was, she just couldn't say no. She went out of her way that day to pick up pet products. A few months ago she had bought a bed for both Saber and Trixie, and a cage for Lancelot to play in, of course the door never closed. Today she'd need to pick up food and new toys, surprises for her constant companions. When she returned home she found a few messages waiting for her, three from John asking where she was, one from Marco asking how she felt, and to take the day off tomorrow, and four from John's cousin Astrella telling her that she had no choice but to go shopping with her tomorrow. Starlet made a mental note to call each of them back. She was making herself dinner when the someone rang the doorbell. Starlet wiped her hands on the apron she put on and rushed to the door. Probably John making sure she wasn't whisked away by Ricky again.

Starlet threw open the door, there they were, the tightly knit group she used to be a part of. There was Scraps, a small chubby child the youngest of the group in clothes too many sizes too big, his short blond hair was matted with grime and what was possibly blood his blue eyes were frantic. Then Bugs the second oldest, he had long brown hair and was considered the muscle of the group. He was holding up Ricky who couldn't seem to keep his head up. Starlet could only see the top of his black hair, his side was bleeding profusely. Holding him up on the other side was Vena, the other girl of the group, she was devious and lethal, she had her eyes set on Ricky, she had long blonde hair and acid green eyes.

"What happened?" Starlet cried, rushing toward them, She ripped her new apron off and pressed it to Ricky's side. His eyes found her, his searching brown eyes.

"I got into a little fight." He whispered to her, blood was dripping from his mouth.

"Get him inside!" Starlet ordered ushering them inside. Saber was up in a flash watching them drag Ricky into her room.

"Well look at this, pent house suit, plasma screen TV, Blu Ray and DVD player and Designer Clothes? No one would guess you're from the streets." Vena snarled. Starlet turned to her.

"Saber." Starlet cried, nodding towards her. Saber was on his feet in seconds growling and barking pushing Vena towards the door. Starlet turned away from them and ran into the room. He was lying on the bed, Scraps was beside her.

"Is he going to die Star?" He asked her, holding onto her sleeve.

"I don't know. I need to take his shirts off." Star told them. With their help she managed to peel the layers off. She surveyed the damage, she took a deep breath and left the room.

"What are you doing? Go in there and help him!" Vena cried from her perch on the kitchen island. Saber, who had dragged his bed over to the island, looked up from his paws and growled. Starlet ignored her and picked up the phone. She dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hey, Doctor Goldman, it's Star. No john is fine, but I do need help, how quickly can you get here?" Starlet asked the man on the other side. She agreed to whatever time he said he'd be there and then hung up. Vena was furious.

"Doctor? You called a Doctor? Are you crazy?" She cried launching herself off of the island and towards the bedroom door. "Guys, come on we've got to go! She's called a doctor, and none of us want to get back into the system!"

"But he's a mob doctor! Complete Discretion! I promise!" Starlet argued, pushing past Vena, the boys exchanged glances. "If you don't listen to me he'll die! Is that what you want?" Needless to say the boys decided to stay.

Doctor Goldman was a wiry old man, with steady wrinkled hands. He stood over Ricky for a moment before taking out a needle.

"What are you going to give him?" Starlet asked him, she was kneeling beside Ricky holding his hand.

"It's morphine so he won't feel me stitching him up." Goldman replied. Ricky groaned, he had been slipping in and out of consciousness. His head turned to Starlet.

"You don't have to stay with me." He whispered to her. Starlet smiled.

"But I will." She told him, Ricky smiled before the morphine took hold and he slipped into relaxed sleep. Doctor Goldman worked fast, stitching up his side in no time one it was established that an internal organ had indeed not been hit. He left a bottle of little yellow pills to help Ricky cope with whatever discomfort he'd have and his card so Ricky could come for a checkup in a few weeks.

With Ricky safe and sound and finally out of harm's way Starlet curled herself up to his uninjured side and fell asleep beside him.

In the morning she woke up early and made everyone breakfast, Bugs had fallen asleep on the couch, Vera was sleeping on the duvet, Scraps was sleeping beside Saber in the pet bed Starlet had got him. He lifted his head and yawned, then rested his head back on Scrap's shoulder. Starlet smiled and continued to make food for her companions. She wanted them to have a good meal for once, and she was going to make it. She finished the meal and set the small table she had, and then woke everyone else but Ricky up.

"Thanks Starlet!" Scraps cried digging into his pancakes.

"What are we having?" Ricky asked from the door. He was leaning against the doorframe watching everyone with hooded eyes.

"Get back in bed!" Starlet ordered, heading towards him, her hands flattened against his chest and pushed him back into the room. The door shut behind them and Ricky scooped her up into his arms, crushing his lips to hers. He moaned against her mouth, running a hand through her flaming tresses.

"I've missed you so much." Ricky whispered to her. Starlet smiled against his lips.

"I've missed you too." She confessed to him.

"Yea well I haven't." Someone snarled from the door. Starlet turned and found John boring down on them.

"You didn't think the mob doctor would change me for the services?" John asked her.

"He needed help." Starlet pleaded exchanging glances between John and Ricky.

"Then you should have let him die." John snarled. Ricky pushed Starlet out of the way and came face to face with John.

"What you scared she'll choose me over you?" Ricky challenged.

"You could never protector, not a good as me. If you were a good protector she would have never made it to my dad's bakery." John countered. Ricky grimaced.

"She ran from me! I tried to track her down! Let's see you manage to track her down after she runs from you." Ricky cried.

"Get out." John snarled. Ricky stood firm in his spot.

"I won't leave until she tells me to leave." Ricky told him. John's face contorted into a grimace of what Starlet knew was pure rage. Starlet stepped in front of Ricky.

"Please, John, he's hurt. He can leave when he's better." Starlet promised him. John looked up from Starlet's pleading face, to Ricky's triumphant smile.

"You've been a thorn in my side since the day we got Star. You best pray you never upset her, 'cause the day you do will be the happiest day of my life." John vowed, and then left them in the apartment.

--

"About a week later Vena tried to kill Starlet, Saber bit her pretty hard on the leg. We found out that it was Vena who tried to stab Ricky, they were having another argument about his obsession with Star. He told Vena to find a new crew to hang with, and a few days after that Ricky left." John explained. Mac hmmed at him.

"When was that?" Mac asked him.

"About a month ago." John replied.

"Do you think she was sleeping with him?" Mac asked. John shrugged.

"Sexual encounters scared the shit out of her, she'd start shaking and freaking out, I know he tried and that's why she ran from him, I don't know if Ricky caused the reaction or her father did, but I'm leaning towards her father." John clarified. Mac thought this over.

"Why do you think that?" Mac questioned. John sighed.

"If he is the cause of her fear then why would she let him back into her life right?" John assumed. Mac nodded.

"Well then I suppose we should look for Ricky then, if that's whom she assume can help her now." Mac told him. John scoffed.

"When I find her I'm going kick Ricky's ass and then take Starlet to a safe house." John confided. Mac nodded.

"We'll need your help find her father." Mac told him. John shook his head.

"Why would you need to find him huh? You're not sending her back to him, I won't let you." John warned him.

"I want to put him to justice, make sure he's not preying on other young girls." Mac admitted. John's eyes narrowed.

"I could never get her to tell me her real name, or where she was from. How do you expect to figure it out?" John taunted him.

"We have forensic behind us, sort of like you have your underlings. If you can get me some of her DNA I could pinpoint her to a missing persons file. He'd want to find her no matter who he'd have to go to. Chances are I could pinpoint her and bring him in." Mac informed him. John nodded.

"Do I get a piece of this mother fucker?" John asked.

"If we can get him into jail you and your boys can have all the fun you want with him." Mac whispered. John smiled deviously he thanked Mac and then left. Mac picked up the phone and called for Flack to meet him in the foyer. On the way out he met with Stella.

"Starlet's gone." She told him.

"I know, she saw the news coverage on her and panicked. She's hiding from her father." Mac explained. Stella ran to catch up with his longer strides.

"How did you know that?" Stella asked him.

"John told me, she called him last night and left a message with him." Mac told her.

"Well she burnt her files and stole a whack-load of Vicodin. But she didn't clear out her room, I've got finger prints and hair." Stella confided. Mac smiled.

"Very good, then you can run it through AFIS and figure out who Starlet really is." Mac ordered. Stella nodded.

"What are we going to do when we figure it out?" She asked him, she had been in the system her whole life, she understood what Starlet was going through.

"We're going to bring her father to justice, see what really happened to her." Mac told her. Stella nodded.

"I'll call you if I get anything." Stella told him Mac nodded as the elevator doors closed.

When Mac got downstairs he found Flack talking into his walkie talkie.

"They've got the girl, she just stopped off at her apartment, she's got the whole gang with her and she's running." Flack told him.

"Did you tell them not to use force on her? She's done nothing wrong." Mac asked him. Flack nodded, they were in the car seconds later, speeding towards the chase.

--

This was his first chase, and the girl he was chasing was faster than he could have imagined. But Roy Baytie wasn't going to give him. The girl skidded to a stop at an alley way, she glanced back at him.

"Stop! Or I'll shoot!" Roy screamed at her. The girl's eyes narrowed and she disappeared down the alleyway. When Roy got to the turn he saw the girl jump off a dumpster, grabbing a high hanging ladder bar and with a swing she flew over the fence, landing with ease on the other side. She turned back to Roy's flabbergasted face, and in his moment of shock the dog came crashing out of nowhere knocking him to the ground. Roy waited for the teeth to sink in but the dog didn't stay on him long. The dog bounded over the fence in a move that seemed strangely familiar, when Roy picked himself up he was joined by the others.

"What did you do?" Flack asked him. Roy gasped for air.

"I was in pursuit." Roy answered. The other man, probably a CSI watched Starlet round the corner on the other side with the dog following after her.

"What did you say to her?" Flack asked.

"I told her to freeze, or I'd shoot. It was like she took it as a challenge." Roy confessed. The man turned and found cornered Roy.

"What do you mean?" He asked her.

"She showed off, she did this aerial flip off the dumpster using the ladder as a swing to get over the fence. And that dog, I think he's a police dog, he cleared the fence, you know climbed over. I've never seen anything like that. Street kids don't usually have dogs that well trained or the skills to do anything like that." Roy explained. Mac thanked him and began to walk away.

"What are you thinking?" Flack asked him.

"That Starlet's related to a cop." Mac told him.

"You think a cop abused her?" Flack asked, he didn't like the sound of that, a dirty cop no one did.

"I don't know, but one doesn't get that close to a police dog without being part of that family." Mac told him.

"I know that as well as I do, but you don't think it's the father do you?" Flack asked.

"Who knows, we'll have to figure out who she is first." Mac told her. Flack ran a hand over his stubble.

"She can't be more then 16." He whispered.

"But she's smart of her age… too smart." Mac mused. He turned away from Flack, they needed to learn more about her, and it all lay in her past.


	4. Chapter 4

Wish Upon A Star

xStarletx

A/N: Here we are! Chapter 4! Are you guys excited? Cuz I certainly am! Lol Review if you like it please and don't you worry Chapter 5 will be ready to post next Thursday! No more waiting for posts people I've got me a schedule! Lol =P Enjoy!

Chapter 4

* * *

With what Stella got they learnt absolutely nothing. The only hit they got was on a hair, a stolen ferret from a large New York pet store. No doubt Lancelot was rescued from his small cage a few years ago, now they knew that Starlet had no qualms about liberating pets from stores.

"I thought we would get more from this, I had her finger prints, Mac. How could her abusive father not be looking for the only witness to his actions?" Stella asked him. Mac shrugged.

"Maybe he thinks she won't tell anymore, maybe he thinks she's dead. Maybe he's scared if they find her she'll tell them everything he did to her." Mac replied. Stella sighed.

"How the hell are we ever going to figure out who she is then? We're at a dead end."Stella complained just as Flack stepped into the office.

"We found Ricky."

--

He definitely had rugged good looks, Mac had to give him that. The boy sitting across from him had to be nineteen tops, definitely much older than Starlet. His hair was a short black crew cut and his eyes mirrored his tanned skin. He didn't look too happy to be there sitting across from a CSI.

"So where is Starlet?" Mac came out and asked. Ricky said nothing.

"He's got an apartment and a job now, the landlord says he's got two young boys living with him but they weren't there today." Flack told him. Mac nodded, he noticed that Ricky's jaw twitched slightly at the mention of the boys.

"You've got them back on the street, with the Starlet don't you?" Mac asked him. Ricky didn't say anything.

"I don't see why it matters we'll find her eventually." Mac told him. Ricky leant in.

"You don't know Star." Ricky snarled. Mac smiled.

"Would you like to elaborate on that? I'd love to know more about Starlet." Mac told him. Ricky shook his head.

"You've done enough forensics man." Ricky taunted.

"How did you know I was in forensics?" Mac asked.

"Flack here said I was going to be talking to a Mac, and Starlet mentioned a Mac coming and asking her questions about her getting shot. I put two and two together." Ricky shrugged. Mac nodded.

"Why don't you just tell me how you met her then, that's not much now is it?"

--

It was a pretty cold night, I had my boys casing the joint we were going to break into. It was a rich place, a popular diner with plenty of leftovers and tones of cash. I snubbed out the cigarette I had been smoking being sure to keep the butt. I had nearly been caught on a charge over a cigarette I had left at a scene, I was definitely not doing that again

Vena sauntered around the corner, she had probably the biggest crush on me I had ever had the chance to encounter in my days on the streets. I didn't matter she did what I told her to do and didn't ask questions, just the way I liked it.

"Everyone's in place, you ready to go in?" She asked me. I nodded, pocketing the used butt. She lead me to the side door where I used a lock pick to get in, Scraps was going to be look out, so I waved him to the front of the alley, and then waved Bugs to come and help us load the cash into the bag. We'd be sleeping in a motel tonight baby.

It wasn't until we were half way through the robbery when I found Scraps at the door.

"I found a kitty cat! Can we keep it?" He asked. He was holding a black and brown very fluffy tabby cat in his arms.

"No. We have enough mouths to feed." I told him. Scraps clung to the cat.

"But… I'll take care of it! I promise!" Scraps pleaded. The cat mewed pathetically as Scraps clung even tighter. Vena was looking at the staircase that lead to the office area, there was a safe in there, but I hadn't bothered to go up there yet. I didn't really care what she was doing at that point, we were down a watchman. The cat scrambled out of Scraps arms and rushed into the diner, it took the steps two at a time disappearing into the shadows.

"There's someone up there." Vena whispered. I exchanged looks with her. I handed her the bag of cash.

"Here, take this, and get the others out. I'll deal with the witness." I told her. I flipped out my pocket knife and headed up the stairs I didn't think I'd have to use it, maybe just the scare the person into thinking there was only me there. When I got up to the office I found that light was already on, and there was a person on the window ledge. I could believe it, why hadn't I thought to check if the windows were left open? The person had a hood and I couldn't see their face, but with a backpack that big on I knew that he had most likely gotten into the safe before I had.

"Hey! This is my turf!" I cried. The person turned to me and took in the site of my drawn knife and then scrambled away out the window. When I went through I saw that Vena and Bugs had cornered the turf crosser at the bottom of the fire escape.

"SABER!" The person cried in such a high pitched voice that I just knew this was a girl we were dealing with. From the other side of the alley, the entrance that was supposed to have a scout, barreled a large dog. His tackle sent Vena flying to the ground and in the chaos the girl hurdled over Vena's limp body and ran towards the entrance.

"FOLLOW HER!" I ordered. Bugs and Vena were up in a second, but Scraps stayed behind. When I got down to street level he ran up to me.

"I'm scared." Scraps whispered. He was the youngest of the bunch, he looked to me like a father and I struggled to keep up to his expectations.

"Go back to the house." I told him, pausing only pat him on the head. I took off after the girl down the street I saw Vena and Bugs split up for some reason, and after a few minutes the girl came out of the alley way that Vena had just turned down. The white shepherd met her in the middle of the street. She giggled and pet the dog affectionately.

"HEY!" I cried. Her hood fell back revealing a color of red I had never seen on a girl before. She turned her blue eyes to me and I felt lost in them, but for some reason I was still running forward. Behind her Vena appeared and the girl took off in the opposite direction. I caught up with her quickly, she was climbing up another fire escape, why she thought getting up on the roof of a building smart idea was beyond me but it worked for me. I was herding her towards our safe house, we could trap her there. I was up on the building in time to see her do this aerobatic flip over the distance between the roof and the next.

I jumped after her, we were just two roofs away from the safe house. She jumped again and this time I was a little faster. We were on the roof of the house we were using as a base. I managed to catch a her foot after I lunged at her and tripped her up.

"SABER!" She cried, and I looked up just in time to see the dog bend his head as he charged me. It wasn't the fact that I was flying towards the edge of the roof that scared me, it was that I hit something on my way there.

"Oh!" I heard the girl cry, and she was suddenly jumping over my limp body to get to the edge.

"Help!" I heard Scraps called and realized that he must have been the one I bumped into.

"Here! Grab my hand! Saber! Help me." I heard her order. A few moments later when I managed to get up I found that she had hauled Scraps up onto the roof. He was clinging to her coat, as the dog still had a mouthful of Scraps large coat. I moved towards them and Vena appeared on the fire escape. Vena went to grab Scraps from their grasp but Scraps wriggled out of it.

"You're on our turf kid." I told her. She was petting Scraps kindly she looked up to me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." She apologized. She was being so kind that I was taken aback; you don't usually get that response from anyone in New York.

"I'll go now." She offered, letting go of Scraps who looked like he was about to cry, and trying to get past Vena on the fire escape. It wasn't going so well Vena wasn't going to let her by.

"We want the money you took." She snarled. The girl backed away.

"I didn't take any money." The girl told us. I didn't believe that I was directly behind her.

"Then what's in the bag?" I questioned, taking the bag off her. I flipped over the snap flap and had the brown and black tabby cat launch itself onto my face. I dropped the back heard a muffled squeak but was definitely more concerned with the cat attached to my face. When the girl decided to help me I noticed she had the back pack on her back again and that she was slightly giggling.

"You think that's funny?" I asked her getting angry. She backed away like I had scared her and I probably should have changed course. I flicked open the pocketed knife and her big green eyes blinked rapidly, no doubt thinking of a way out of this.

Saber, the big white dog, charged me from the side, his teeth sinking into my arm, I dropped the knife and the girl clamored to pick it up. Vena headed forward to attack her, but the cat who was free tripped her up. Then once again the girl got down the fire escape with the dog and cat following after. I tried my best to quell the bleeding but it wasn't going so well. When I looked up I saw that Scraps had taken off. It wasn't until I got down to the first floor that I realized that Scraps was looking for the girl.

"What are you doing down her all on your own?" I asked him picking up, his grimy hand tangled into my black curls and he stared down the street.

"I liked her. She was really nice. Do you think we'll see her again?' He asked me. I felt a little jealous, Scraps had taken an immediate liking to this girl where I had to wait several weeks for him to be ok with me.

"You can count on it, I need to get my knife back." I told him. Scraps looked giddy.

"When I catch that bitch I'm going to rip her hair out." Vena swore appearing beside us. "Are you ok Scraps?"

I let Vena take Scraps from me as I contemplated how I'd find the girl again. How difficult could it really be to find a red head with a big white dog and a brown and black cat?

--

Ricky stopped in the middle of his story, when a commotion was heard outside. Flack walked back into the room with a triumphant smile on his face.

"We got them." He cried. Ricky was on his feet in a second rushing for the door, he managed to get out but Flack held him back. Starlet was struggling against the two cops who had her upper arms.

"Watch her shoulder!" Ricky screamed, trying to break free of Flack's grasp. Starlet's head turned to him, fear rushed through her eyes.

"RICKY!" She cried, trying to pull in that direction. The two cops didn't budge. There was the sound of growling and snapping and they saw that they had Saber on a dog catchers pole, trying to herd him into a small cage, but it wasn't going to well, he was circling madly forcing his handler to do the same, every now and then he would lunge in hope of get free. Scraps was in the arms of a female cop and he was crying.

"Starlet." He sobbed, his small hand reaching out of her. Mac saw a primal instinct light in her eyes, and with the agility that no doubt helped her jump off a dumpster and swing over a fence, she pushed against the wall sending her and her captors back until they both tripped and fell. Starlet was up in a flash kicking the cop that had Scraps and taking him from her grasp. Ricky elbowed Flack sharply and rushed towards them, even Saber had gotten free, no doubt with help from Trixie and Lancelot. The little group was surrounded by cops, but each member looked ready to try and fight them off. Mac walked into the circle, Starlet glared at him.

"Now stop this. All we want to do is help you." Mac scolded. Ricky had an arm around Starlet, Saber was at their feet with a deadly growl on his face. Mac didn't move forward, he knew better.

"Ricky is going to stay here, to answer some more questions and we're going to take you the CSI Head Quarters ok?" Mac asked. They didn't seem to like that answer.

"Ok, we bring you all back to CSI Head Quarters." Mac compromised.

"Fine." Starlet snarled, letting her and her group be herded out of the building and into a van outside.


	5. Chapter 5

Wish Upon A Star

xStarletx

A/N: Here we are Chapter 5. I know I've taken forever to get this up, but I made a promise to myself to finish at least five stories this summer, so I'm going to all my half finished stories and finishing them. Like this one. So I'm going to try and finish up this one and others. Give me feedback, REVIEW!

Chapter 5

* * *

Back at CSI Head Quarters Starlet and her pets were patted down for more evidence. The hairs were officially running through the AFIS. Mac stood in front of the two way mirrored glass watching the way Starlet and Ricky acted.

One of Ricky's hands were on always somewhere on her, and he was staring her wondering if she were ok. She in point of fact looked pissed off.

"Now, you were telling us a story." Mac asked, sitting in front of them. Starlet turned to him.

"Which story were you telling them?"

"The one about how we met." Ricky told her.

"I like that story." She murmured. Ricky smiled.

"Well, continue."

* * *

It had been a while, at least a few weeks, and I still hadn't found the girl. Not that we hadn't been looking for her, she was just impossible to find and even if I did catch a glimpse of her, I'd lose her pretty quickly.

A month later, I had had another pretty big fight with Vena about why I was never very emotional with her and had decided to take a walk.

Yea I'm not emotional, I'm not an emotional kinda guy. She should have just been happy with the few quick fucks I was giving her and just left it at that. But no, typical girl had to bring her feelings into the whole situation.

I made my way to central park, figuring I'd maybe sit on a park bench get some change out of a fountain and buy a hotdog or something. The sun was setting, and most of the people were leaving, and I figured I might as well leave too, no one with some good cash on them would be here anyways.

Then I saw it, the flash of white running through the trees. I took after it, hoping it was the right dog. And it was.

The girl I had been looking for, lay on a park bench all huddled up in her large coat. I could tell she was freezing I could hear her teeth chattering from where I was. I lent up against the back of the park bench and looked down to her. She sneezed twice and took a shuddering breath in, only to starting coughing.

I was immediately softened to her predicament. The poor girl was sick. I hazard a hand to her hood, I could feel her fever radiating off of her. I heard a low growl and saw the dog inching towards us. I froze.

The girl turned to me, gazing at me though fever glazed eyes. They widened when they recognized me and she got up. Backing away from me. I came around the park bench with my arms out, trying to comfort her.

"It's ok. I just want to talk." I told her. She didn't listen. She ran instead.

I wish she hadn't, she collapsed a few feet away from where we started. I went to her, she began to cough again. The dog eyed me warily as I bent down beside her.

She struggled against me to begin with but I wouldn't let go.

"Stop. I'm going to get you some help ok?" I told her. She became still in my arms, and once again I felt my heart swell just a little bit. I loved her blue eyes. I loved how they just trusted me. I picked her up and carried her back to our newest safe house.

Vena was on me in seconds.

"What are you doing?" She hissed. I ignored her. The girl coughed again, and groaned lowly. I was worried. She was more sick then I thought.

I put her down on my bed, and covered her with the blankets I had found.

"She's going to get us all sick!" Vena snarled. I turned to Bugs and Scraps.

"You two stay away from her ok? Until we know she's not contagious!" I ordered. Scraps had the brown and black tabby in his arms. Saber was by the girls side. He was beside her warming her up.

"She's going to get you sick!" Vena accused. I rolled my eyes at her.

"So what?" I snarled.

"Come on guys, we're going to go get her something to make her better."

"No, I refuse." Vena cried.

"Fine. Stay here and watch her then." I snarled. The dog huffed in her hair. Vena crossed her arms across her chest. She glared at them. Scraps tugged on my shirt.

"I'll stay with her." Scraps offered.

"Ok, but don't get to close to her ok? Don't want you catching what she's got." I ordered. I ruffled his hair lightly. I turned to Vena who was ready to go. I took note of the fact that the dog was already heading out of the door. Scraps stooped down and picked up the cat.

I took one last look at her before stepping out. We headed to the nearest pharmacy but luck wasn't with us. Seemed I was only lucky with the girl around. Security caught us attempting to steal the cough medicine. We had no choice but to run.

We returned back empty handed, I was determined to keep her warm, even if I had to do so with body heat, but when I returned she was sitting up pouring out cough medicine for her to take.

"What? How?" I asked. She looked up to me.

"Saber." She replied. The dog beside her barked. I noticed that Scraps was curled up beside her, the cat half on top of him. A white ferret was poking it's head out of her pocket.

"You have quite the collection of pets." I told her. I noticed she wasn't smiling. She huddled up in the blankets I had given her.

"What you don't talk bitch?" Vena asked.

"There's no need to be rude." The girl responded.

"You wanna say that again?" Vena challenged. I stood between her and the girl, but a low warning growl came from the dog. I turned back and saw that he had stood now, and was standing over the girl. He was making his fur stand on end.

He looked positively horrifying. Even Vena backed down. The girl snapped her fingers and the dog backed up. He sat back on his haunches and huffed. He lay down, half on the girl's legs and put his head down.

I sat down beside her.

"What did you do with my pocket knife?" I asked. I was rather attached to it. I was hoping she didn't pawn it. She had been putting the medicine into her backpack. She paused in her sorting and started to sift through the contents of the bag.

I couldn't see anything, but I was suddenly curious. What was she carrying around? A few moments later I was rewarded with my pocket knife.

"You could have gotten quite a bit for this. Why didn't you hawk it?"

"It's yours not mine." She replied. I didn't understand her logic.

"If we thought like that we'd die." I told her.

"I take what I need. That's it."

"I think that's stupid."

"I don't care." She growled. I chuckled slightly. The girl had balls. I liked her attitude. No one talked to me like that, even Vena was more respectful.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Starlet."

"No, I mean your real name."

"Starlet" The girl repeated. I sighed.

"Fine. Starlet. I'm Ricky"

* * *

There was a loud commotion outside and then John burst in.

"Where the hell have you been?" He demanded heading straight for Starlet. She was up in a second hugging him.

"I missed you."

"You wouldn't have missed me if you didn't run off!"

"I thought you were mad."

"Clearly you're stupid."

"John." Starlet pouted. John softened immediately.

"You're right that wasn't very nice. I'm sorry. Now come on I've posted your bail."

"What about the others?"

"Yes I paid for Bugs and Scraps and your pets." John listed.

"What about Ricky?" Starlet asked. Ricky turned a smugly bright smile to John who glared at him.

"No."

"But John!"

"No Star. No, Just no." John growled. Mac was slightly amused when Starlet started to pout. He saw John suddenly start to cave.

"Star stop it. I don't want to spend my money on that idiot! For all we know he did this!" John snarled.

"Please John?" Starlet asked, her pout getting even more adorable.

John walked out with the whole crew that day. With the promise that they would be back for questioning tomorrow once Starlet was feeling better.


End file.
